Feltner expected to make next start after '26 debut curtailed by comebacker

TORONTO -- Ryan Feltner’s long-awaited return to a Major League mound lasted only three innings. The good news is he’ll get another chance next week.

The Rockies’ right-hander was hit on the hip by a 106.3 mph comebacker off the bat of Andrés Giménez with two outs in the bottom of the third inning of Tuesday’s 5-1 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The club announced the injury as a right glute contusion, and Feltner isn’t expected to miss any starts.

“Felt is gonna be fine,” said Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer. “He took a hard line drive off the hip and it tightened up on him in between innings, so he was not able to go back out, but I think we avoided something bad there.”

Luck was on Feltner’s side on this one.

The impact looked serious enough to prompt trainers out of the Rockies’ dugout, though Feltner didn’t show signs of pain until he attempted to cover first base a couple of batters later. He was replaced by Juan Mejia in the following inning.

This isn’t the first time Feltner has been on the wrong end of a comebacker, having suffered a fractured skull after being hit on the side of the head back in 2023. Tuesday’s ordeal wasn’t nearly as intense, but it did come as an inopportune development.

The 29-year-old Feltner hadn’t pitched in the big leagues since April 28, 2025, as back spasms and a right shoulder injury set him back last season. His return was going exactly according to plan until it was cut short.

“I thought Felt was exceptional,” said Schaeffer. “In those three innings, he attacked in the zone … he used his secondary [pitches] behind in counts to get back in. He just attacked. I was proud. I was very proud of him tonight.”

Feltner held the Blue Jays to just one hit and one walk with four strikeouts over his three innings. Not one to push back on his manager’s decisions, Feltner accepted the premature end to his return. Despite the injury, he was still able to reflect on the road back to the Rockies.

“Special,” Feltner said of being back. “Really special for me. I've been [away] a little bit, long year for me last year in a lot of different ways. So I was really grateful to pitch in a big league game today.”

After making his way back from his injuries, Feltner made seven starts in the Minors between mid-June and the end of July in 2025, with his sights set on returning to the big leagues this season. He earned the fifth starter’s job out of camp, looking to return to the form he showed in the second half of 2024, when he posted a 2.97 ERA in 14 starts from July to September.

Now he’s back and his stuff is looking good. There’s just a bit of unfinished business following this first outing.

“I felt like myself today, for sure,” said Feltner. “This was one of the starts where I wanted to see if I could go seven [innings], give the team some length. Unfortunately, the comebacker happened.”

Feltner had good reason to go for length here.

No starter on the Rockies has gone over 4 2/3 innings in the first turn through the rotation, leaving the bullpen to cover 21 innings in the first five games -- only a couple ticks below the league-leading Pirates ‘pen's 23 2/3 innings.

“Extremely proud of our ‘pen and the way they've handled themselves so far in the season, tonight included,” said Schaeffer. “We asked a lot of them tonight.”

Chase Dollander, the pitcher Feltner originally beat out for the final starting job, can provide some needed support on that front. Dollander covered the last four innings of Monday’s blowout win over the Blue Jays after Tomoyuki Sugano’s exit with two outs in the fifth.

“That’s exactly what we want him to do, is come in and finish games like that,” Schaeffer said. “Give us four or five innings at a time, save the bullpen. He did a really nice job.”

With an off-day on Thursday, the Rockies will have the chance to rest their arms and give Feltner an extra day to recover from the stiffness in his glute. His shot at making it to the seventh should be right around the corner.